SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome:

SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: What We Know About it

The scenario goes like this: a new mother, anxious and often times overly attentive, tip-toes into her sleeping infant's room and looks for signs of a rising chest, movement, or any sign that the child is still alive. This may sound strange to some, especially those parents who might have had the benefit of being raised in a large family where their comfort level is such that they exude a confidence in the natural things in life, like babies. Still, the scenario suggested above has time and again lead to the discovery of a seemingly healthy infant found dead in their crib by their mother (Bergman, M.D., Abraham, 1986). It is called SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, and years ago it was more commonly referred to as "crib death (p. vii)." While the cause of SIDS remains elusive to medical researchers, studies and data analysis on SIDS has yielded some facts about the event of sudden infant death has helped physicians and researchers identify the those cases where SIDS is higher than in other pregnancies, births, and other environmental conditions associated with the event (CDC, National Vaccine Fact Sheet, 2008, found online at: (http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/factsheets/fs_tableVII_doc5.htm).

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, CDC, SIDS is the leading cause of death in infants between one month and one year of age (CDC, online). While the CDC has not been able to isolate the cause of SIDS, they have found the following to be associated with the greater number of cases:

Who is at risk for SIDS?

Babies who sleep on their stomachs

Babies born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy and babies that are exposed to passive smoke after birth

Babies born to mothers who are less than 20 years old at the time of their first pregnancy

Babies born to mothers who had no or late prenatal care

Babies who are premature or low birth weight

Babies who are placed to sleep on soft surfaces such as soft mattresses, sofas, sofa cushions, waterbeds, sheep skins, or other soft surfaces

Babies who are placed to sleep in an environment containing fluffy and loose bedding, such as pillows, quilts or other coverings, stuffed toys, and other soft items

It is also important to note that

Boys are at greater risk for SIDS than girls.

African-American infants are twice as likely to die of SIDS as white infants.

American Indian infants are nearly three times more likely to die of SIDS as white infants.

More SIDS deaths occur in colder months.

Several studies have demonstrated no association between receiving infant immunizations and SIDS.

SIDS is not contagious.

SIDS is not caused by child abuse or neglect (CDC, online).

Without conclusive evidence to determine why SIDS occurs, there are some studies that suggest SIDS is very much a product of an infant's environment, and related to second hand smoke (Journal of Environmental Health, 2006, p. 78), or that particulate air pollutants might be a contributing factor in SIDS (Glinianaia, Svetlana V., Rankin, Judith, Bell, Ruth, Pless-Mulloui, Tanja, and Howel, Denise, 2004, p. 1365). However, data that would link either of these things as the specific cause of SIDS is still being researched, and remains inconclusive at this time. Much more study is needed to understand SIDS.